‘As engineers, it's our job to be aware of work we do': IIT Madras graduate discusses Palestine at convocation

NEW DELHI: As engineers, it is our job to be aware of the consequences of the work we do, were the words of an IIT Madras graduate as he brought the Palestine war issue on the table during his introductory speech. Mechanical engineering student Dhananjay Balakrishan not only received a degree but was also awarded with the governor’s prize for proficiency in the curricular and extra-curricular activities.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras organized the 61st convocation ceremony today wherein over 2,600 students graduated and more than 3,000 received degrees.

Before sharing his views on the Israel-Palestine conflict with the IITM audience, the dual degree BTech graduate said that he’ll be doing himself and everything he believes in a great injustice, if he doesn’t use the stage to say something “very important”. Terming it as a “call for action”, he explained how the engineering jobs and wars are inter-related and urged the fraternity to make efforts in curbing the suffering of oppresed people.

Israel-Palestine conflict

Balakrishnan said, “There’s a mass genocide going on in Palestine. People are dying in vast numbers and there’s no visible end in sight. Why should we be bothered by this, you ask? Because STEM as a field in itself has historically been used to advance the ulterior motive of the imperial powers such as Israel. As engineering students we work hard to get top level jobs and tech giants which offer very lucrative pays and great benefits. However, these tech giants control various aspects of our lives today, as you know better than anyone. Many of these prestigious companies are also directly and indirectly implicated in the war against Palestine by providing Israel technologies that’re used to kill.”

“There’re no easy solutions and I don't have all the answers but i do know this – as engineers graduate into the real world, it is our job to be aware of the consequences of the work we do. And also to interrogate our own position into these complex systems. I hope that we can incorporate these awareness into our daily lives attempting to understand what we can do to liberate the oppressed on lines of caste, class, creed, and gender. I believe that that is the first step to curb the never ending cycle of suffering,” he added.

Quoting physicist and mathematician Isaac Newton, the mechanical engineering student said, “We’re here standing on the shoulders of the magnimus Indian populus and we hold them till every single person is out of their misery. Inaction is complicit and I hope that you and I and all of us can take action to make the right decisions however hard they might be.”

The graduate's speech was received positively with applaud by the people present during the IIT Madras ceremony.